Today we celebrate the decade anniversary of one of the most storied and epic bike races in the east, the Rasputitsa, with race co-founder and co-director Heidi Myers.

So what exactly is Rasputitsa, you might be asking? Short answer is, it depends.

This year it was a whole weekend of events built around a 50-ish mile gravel bike ride/race that based itself at Jay Peak in Vermont, and included 4,500 feet of climbing.

For the long answer, PLEASE go back and listen to my earlier episode with Heidi, and follow @rasputitsadirt on Instagram to let the energy and ethos of this amazing person (and the event she helped to create) wash over you.

Content warning - audio is admittedly not great. Heidi lives in a rural spot in northern Vermont, and her service left a lot to be desired... so I ask you to bring the same level of intentionality to listening to this podcast that Heidi and the Rasputitsa team bring to every little, tiny detail of their race planning. Find a quiet place where you can focus on her words, you won’t regret it.

And one final note - spoiler for those who haven’t yet listened to Heidi’s first appearance on this podcast - she’s been battling early onset Parkinson’s for years. She is the last person to expect (or desire) any kind of sympathy or extra attention for what she’s going through, but I do think it’s important to consider when you look at how intentional she is, particularly regarding this race and community. She really does blow me away.

Prepare to be inspired.

And some links before we go:

• Rasputitsa - https://rasputitsadirt.com/
• @rasputitsadirt - https://www.instagram.com/rasputitsadirt
• Heidi Myers on Guides Gone Wild (debut!)
• Trish & Jen talk about Vertical
• Specialized
• WHOOP
• Bourne's Energy
• Zero Gravity
• Jay Peak
• MidSouth Gravel - @midsouthgravel
• GroundedNE - @groundedne
• Big Red Gravel Run - @bigredgravelrun
• For the Love of Food Catering
• Bivo
• Trash Gear Co (bike fenders and mud guards made in VT from recycled plastic!)
• Julbo Eyewear
• Castelli
• Plink!
• Columbia Forest Products